Combined toe-rail and carpet-holder for vehicles



(N0 Model.)

12B. STONE. I COMBINED TOE RAIL AND- OARPET HOLDER FOR VEHICLES. No. 496,016. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

WITNESSES: mm

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARDON B. STONE, 'OF WAVERLY, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED TOE-RAIL AND CARPET-HOLDER FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,016, dated April 25, 1893.

Application filed November 9, 1892. Serial No. 461,4'70- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PARDON B. SToNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVaverly, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Device to be Used Inside the Body or Box of Carriages or other Vehicles, said improved device comprising a dirt-trap and carpet-holder, combined with an improved toe-rail, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The objects of the invention are to provide an easy and convenient means of removing (l llli or othersubstances which may collect inside the body or box of the vehicle through an opening made through the bottom of the same; to hold the carpet in place in the bottom of the vehicle-body by an appliance which covers the opening in the bottom of the body and also forms the carpet holder; to provide an mproved toe-rail which is a part of the appliance and which covers the opening in the bottom of the vehicle-body and holds the carpetin place; and, lastly, to provide hinges and springs which attach the appliance to the body or box of the vehicle, hold the appliance 1n place, and render it convenient of manipulation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of aportion of the body of a carriage or other vehicle. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the front portion of a vehicle-body showing the toe-rail, the strip for holding the carpet, and closing and opening the dirt-opening, the springs for controlling the holding-strip and the knob by which the holding-strip may be lifted, said parts being also shown in dotted lines in this view. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of the holding strip and its flat controlling-spring. Fig.4 is a detail end view of the dirt-strip, the springs and the liftingknob. Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a modified form of the appliance in which the flat springs are dispensed with and coiled springs are employed in connection with .a holding strip having the toe-rail made integral therewith and from which arms extend and are pivoted or hinged between supporting lugs secured to the bottom of the vehicle body; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring by letters and figures to the accompanying drawings 1 designates the front rail of the vehicle-bottom 2, and 3 the siderails and 4 the bottom of the vehicle-body.

5 is the toe-rail, of the ordinary construction which is secured to the front and side rails of the vehicle bottom in any of the ways now commonly practical.

a is the dirt-opening, preferably transversely disposed at the front of the vehiclebottom and between the front-rail of the same and the front edge of the bottom board of the same.

6 is a narrow dirt-strip which normally covers the dirt-opening a, and 7 are the flat controlling-sprin gs which normally holds the dirtstrip down to its initial position, and 8 is the knob by which to lift the dirt-strip when necessary.

9 is the carpet by which the bottom of the vehicle-body is usually covered.

In the modification, d are lugs secured to the bottom of the vehicle-body, p are arms pivoted between the bearings of said lugs; c are coiled springs which control the arms 1); e is the dirt-strip, and b is the toe-rail which is made integral with the dirt-strip and arms 1) of the appliance. In this latter instance, the toe-rail is used to raise the dirt-strip, when necessary, the springs c returning it to place when the power exerted to raise it has ceased to be exerted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a vehicle body having a dirt-opening extending transversely across its bottom between the side rails of the same, and a dirt-strip covering said transverse dirt-opening and held normally closed by springs secured to the front-rail of the vehicle-bottom, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a vehicle-bottom having a dirt-opening extending transversely across it, of a spring-controlled carpet holder covering the dirt-opening and engaging the front edge of the carpet, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a vehicle-body having a transversely disposed dirt-opening in its bottom, of a spring-controlled carpet holder adapted to close said dirt-opening, substantially as specified.

PARDON B. STONE.

WVitnesses:

J. W. CARPENTER, M. O. WEBsrER. 

